The Genomics Facility is a new shared resource to be funded by the Cancer Center Support Grant. Establishment of the facility began in August of 1999 and service to users began in November of 2000. Its goal is to provide high-quality, reasonably priced gone-profiling technology platforms and associated validation methodologies to meet the research needs of NCI-funded M. D. Anderson investigators. The Genomics Facility provides investigators with access to personnel who are highly experienced in a variety of genomic technologies and studies as well as access to the methodologies themselves. It also avoids expensive duplication in faculty laboratories of personnel, facilities and equipment required for application of these powerful emerging and evolving methodologies that are changing the nature of cancer research. Our approach permits researchers to focus on study design, study initiation, and data interpretation rather than technology usage and maintenance. The Genomics Facility provides to large numbers of researchers a full range of services, from consultation on experimental design to gene expression analyses to data interpretation via close integration with the Section of Bioinformatics (see Bioinformatics Core Resource). The facility is housed in 3,100 sq. ft. of laboratory space and computer office space. The facility supports cDNA microarrays from RNA preparation to data analysis, serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays and customized arrays. Validation methodologies include Taqman real time PCR and tissue microarrays. The equipment includes Genomics Solutions Flexys arrayers, Genomics Solutions LS IV laser scanner, Axon Instruments Genepix 4000 scanner, Affymetrix GeneChip system, ABI 3700 sequencer, ABI 7700 Taqman, Tecan liquid handling system, Beecher tissue microarrayer, Agilent Gene Analyzer, and Qiagen Biorobot 3000 high-throughput PCR machine. The laboratory facility has 3 faculty and a staff of 16 support personnel. Oversight is provided by a multidisciplinary Oversight Committee of 9 senior M. D. Anderson leaders. Access to the facility is assisted by use of user-friendly Web sites. Funding for the facility is proposed to come from the Cancer Center Support Grant (26%), users' fees (20%), grant support (10%), and institutional resources (44%). During its initial 3 years, the facility was used by 80 researchers, including 66 M. D. Anderson investigators from 20 different CCSG programs. 61% of the users had peer-reviewed funding and accounted for 67% of the utilization. Users of the facility have published important papers in genomics technology, bioinformatics and biostatistics of genomics analysis, and in tumor biology using genomics approaches. Future plans include development, production and implementation of high density oligomer arrays of all known genes, customized organ-site specific arrays, additional SNP assays, methylation arrays, and antibody arrays.